Terms

Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface

A Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) API is a web service that uses a highly structured, XML-based messaging protocol to exchange information between applications. Unlike more flexible architectural styles, SOAP is a formal protocol with strict standards for communication, often defined by a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) contract. This structure makes it a reliable choice for enterprise-level applications, especially in sectors where security and data integrity are paramount.

Key Features and Benefits

SOAP's rigid structure provides significant advantages for specific use cases, particularly in enterprise environments. Its protocol-driven nature ensures that all parties adhere to a strict contract, leading to predictable and reliable interactions.

  • Standardization: Uses WSDL to define a strict contract for communication.
  • Security: Includes built-in, comprehensive security standards like WS-Security.
  • Reliability: Features built-in error handling and successful/retry logic for transactions.
  • Extensibility: Allows for new operations and features to be added without impacting existing ones.
  • Neutrality: Operates independently of the transport protocol, working over HTTP, SMTP, and more.

Common Use Cases

Given its emphasis on security and transactional integrity, SOAP is the go-to choice for many enterprise-level applications. It excels in environments where stateful operations and formal contracts are non-negotiable. These use cases often involve sensitive data and complex, multi-step processes.

  • Financial Services: Handling secure transactions, payment gateways, and banking operations.
  • Telecommunications: Managing complex billing systems and customer account information.
  • Enterprise Integration: Connecting disparate, legacy corporate systems that require a formal contract.
  • Government: Facilitating secure data exchange between different public sector agencies.

Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface vs. Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface

While both enable communication between applications, SOAP and REST follow fundamentally different philosophies.

  • SOAP: A highly structured protocol using XML, SOAP offers robust built-in security and reliability, making it ideal for enterprise-level financial or healthcare applications. However, its rigidity and verbosity can lead to slower performance. Mid-market companies may use it for integrations requiring strict contracts or high security.
  • REST: An architectural style, REST is more flexible and lightweight, often using JSON. It's faster and easier to use, making it a popular choice for public APIs, mobile apps, and microservices. Enterprises and mid-market companies prefer REST for projects prioritizing speed and scalability over built-in security protocols.

Best Practices for Implementation

Implementing a SOAP API requires careful planning to leverage its strengths in security and reliability. Adhering to established standards ensures interoperability and maintains the integrity of data exchanges, especially in enterprise settings.

  • Validation: Always validate incoming messages against the WSDL schema to enforce the contract and prevent processing malformed data. This maintains data integrity and system stability.
  • Performance: Be mindful of the overhead from XML parsing and verbosity, which can impact performance. Use it for processes where reliability trumps speed, not for high-frequency, low-latency calls.

Security Considerations

SOAP's main security advantage is its built-in WS-Security standard. This specification provides end-to-end security, ensuring message integrity and confidentiality through digital signatures and encryption. This robust framework makes SOAP a trusted choice for transmitting sensitive data.

Beyond message protection, SOAP supports various authentication and authorization methods. These include username/password tokens and X.509 certificates for identity verification. This layered security is crucial for enterprise applications demanding strict access control and compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions about Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface

Is SOAP still relevant in the age of REST?

Yes, especially in enterprise settings. Its robust security features and strict contracts are essential for financial, healthcare, and government systems where data integrity and reliability are non-negotiable. It remains the standard for many legacy and high-security integrations.

Can SOAP APIs use JSON instead of XML?

While technically possible, it's highly unconventional. SOAP is fundamentally designed around XML and its associated standards like WSDL and XSD for validation. Using JSON would undermine the protocol's core benefits and is not supported by most standard SOAP tooling.

Is SOAP always slower than REST?

Generally, yes. The verbosity of XML and the overhead of processing strict protocols make SOAP messages larger and slower than lightweight REST/JSON calls. This performance trade-off is accepted in exchange for SOAP's built-in reliability and security features.

Other terms

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Event Tracking

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Custom API integration

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Custom API integration

Closed Won

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ABM Orchestration

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ABM Orchestration

Customer Retention

Customer retention refers to the strategies and activities a company uses to prevent customer churn and encourage them to continue buying.

Customer Retention

Mobile Compatibility

Mobile compatibility ensures your site or app works flawlessly on mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, for a seamless user experience.

Mobile Compatibility

Lead Scoring Models

Lead scoring models rank prospects by assigning points for their behaviors and demographics, helping sales teams prioritize their outreach.

Lead Scoring Models

Customer Relationship Management Systems

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a tool that centralizes customer data to help manage interactions and nurture relationships.

Customer Relationship Management Systems

Customer Buying Signals

Customer buying signals are the actions, behaviors, or statements a prospect makes that indicate they are moving towards a purchase decision.

Customer Buying Signals

Cold Email

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Cold Email

Messaging Strategy

A messaging strategy defines what your brand says, how it says it, and where it says it to connect effectively with your target audience.

Messaging Strategy

Value Statement

A value statement is a clear, concise declaration of the unique benefits a company provides to its customers, outlining its core purpose.

Value Statement

Customer Acquisition Cost

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the total cost a business spends to gain a new customer. It includes all sales and marketing expenses.

Customer Acquisition Cost

Point of Contact

A Point of Contact (POC) is the designated individual or department that serves as the main hub for information and communication on a matter.

Point of Contact

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method allowing users to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Buying Criteria

Buying criteria are the specific requirements and standards a customer uses to evaluate products or services before making a decision.

Buying Criteria

Expansion Revenue

Expansion revenue is the extra money a business makes from its current customers via upgrades, new products, or additional services.

Expansion Revenue

X-Sell

X-Sell, or cross-selling, is a sales strategy of selling additional, related products or services to an existing customer base.

X-Sell

User Interface

A User Interface (UI) is the point where humans and computers interact. It encompasses all visual elements like screens, icons, and buttons.

User Interface

Predictive Lead Generation

Predictive lead generation uses data and AI to find prospects most likely to buy, helping teams focus their efforts on high-value leads.

Predictive Lead Generation

Lead Enrichment

Lead enrichment adds third-party data to your raw lead lists, creating fuller prospect profiles for more effective and personalized outreach.

Lead Enrichment

Marketing Qualified Account

A Marketing Qualified Account (MQA) is a target company that has shown significant engagement, indicating it's ready for the sales team to pursue.

Marketing Qualified Account

Marketing Play

A marketing play is a repeatable tactic used to achieve a specific marketing goal, like generating leads or driving engagement.

Marketing Play

Revenue Forecasting

Revenue forecasting is the process of estimating a company's future revenue, using historical data and market trends to guide strategic planning.

Revenue Forecasting

Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis means identifying your rivals and assessing their strategies to pinpoint your own business's strengths and weaknesses.

Competitive Analysis

Product Recommendations

Product recommendations are a marketing strategy that uses customer data to suggest relevant products, boosting sales and customer engagement.

Product Recommendations

B2B Marketing Attribution

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B2B Marketing Attribution

Voice Broadcasting

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Voice Broadcasting

Product-Led Growth

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Product-Led Growth

Email Cadence

An email cadence is a scheduled sequence of emails sent to prospects over a specific period to nurture leads and drive engagement.

Email Cadence

Generic Keywords

Generic keywords are broad search terms that lack specific details like brand or location. They attract a wide audience with less specific intent.

Generic Keywords

Target Account List

A Target Account List (TAL) is a focused list of high-value companies that a business specifically aims to convert into customers.

Target Account List

Mid-Market

Mid-market companies are businesses larger than small businesses but smaller than large enterprises, often defined by revenue or employee size.

Mid-Market

Lookalike Audiences

Lookalike audiences are groups of potential customers who share similar characteristics and behaviors with your existing, high-value customers.

Lookalike Audiences

System of Record

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System of Record

Marketing Automation Platform

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Marketing Automation Platform

HubSpot

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HubSpot

Firmographic Data

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Firmographic Data

Contact Discovery

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Contact Discovery

Sales Workflows

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Sales Workflows

Data Appending

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Data Appending

Talk Track

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Talk Track

Persona Map

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Persona Map

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to their organization, motivating them to contribute to the company's success.

Employee Engagement

Intent Data

Intent data tracks a user's online behavior—like searches and site visits—to identify signals that they are ready to make a purchase.

Intent Data

Social Proof

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Social Proof

Enterprise

An enterprise is a large-scale organization, often a corporation, defined by its complex structure and substantial number of employees.

Enterprise

Lead Generation Software

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Lead Generation Software

Outbound Sales

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Outbound Sales

Marketing Qualified Opportunity

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Awareness Buying Stage

The awareness stage is the first step in the buyer's journey, where a potential customer realizes they have a problem or an opportunity to explore.

Awareness Buying Stage

Sales Operations Analytics

Sales operations analytics is the practice of analyzing sales data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire sales process.

Sales Operations Analytics

Dark Funnel

The Dark Funnel describes customer buying activities that are untrackable by companies, such as private chats and word-of-mouth referrals.

Dark Funnel

Rollback Procedures

Rollback procedures are a set of steps to restore a system to a previous, stable version after a failed update, ensuring minimal disruption.

Rollback Procedures

Buying Committee

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Buying Committee

Operational CRM

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Applicant Tracking System

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Applicant Tracking System

Customer Data Platform (CDP)

A Customer Data Platform (CDP) centralizes customer data from all sources to create a complete, unified profile for each individual customer.

Customer Data Platform (CDP)

Revenue Intelligence

Revenue intelligence is the process of collecting and analyzing customer data to provide insights that help sales teams make smarter decisions.

Revenue Intelligence

Sales Enablement Content

Sales enablement content refers to the materials and tools that empower your sales team to engage prospects and close deals more efficiently.

Sales Enablement Content

Business-to-Business (B2B)

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Business-to-Business (B2B)

Responsive Design

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Responsive Design

Dynamic Pricing

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Dynamic Pricing

Warm Outreach

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Warm Outreach

User-generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content, like images, videos, or text, created and shared by users on online platforms.

User-generated Content

Qualified Lead

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Qualified Lead

Data Enrichment

Data enrichment is the process of enhancing raw data by adding missing information from other sources, making it more complete and actionable.

Data Enrichment

Buying Intent

Buying intent is the collection of online cues and behaviors that signal a prospect is actively researching and moving toward a purchase decision.

Buying Intent

Chatbots

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Chatbots

Order Management

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Order Management

FAB Technique

The FAB technique is a sales framework connecting product features to advantages and then to the specific benefits for the customer.

FAB Technique

Outbound Lead Generation

Outbound lead generation means proactively reaching out to potential customers who haven't yet expressed interest to introduce them to your brand.

Outbound Lead Generation

RESTful API

A RESTful API is a web service interface that uses HTTP requests to access and use data, adhering to the constraints of REST architecture.

RESTful API

Cold Calling

Cold calling is a sales tactic where reps contact potential customers by phone who haven't previously expressed interest in their product or service.

Cold Calling

Lead List

A lead list is a curated database of potential customers (leads) with contact information and other key data for sales and marketing outreach.

Lead List

Regression Testing

Regression testing ensures that new code changes don’t negatively impact existing features. It's a key step to maintain software quality after updates.

Regression Testing

Account Development Representative

An Account Development Representative (ADR) identifies and qualifies new business opportunities, creating a pipeline for account executives.

Account Development Representative

Webhooks

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Webhooks

Sales Enablement

Sales enablement provides sales teams with the necessary tools, content, and information to help them sell more effectively and efficiently.

Sales Enablement

Sales Funnel

A sales funnel is a model illustrating the customer's journey from initial awareness to the final purchase, narrowing down leads at each stage.

Sales Funnel

Video Selling

Video selling uses personalized video messages to engage prospects, build rapport, and guide them through the sales funnel to close more deals.

Video Selling

Buyer

Learn about buyer, including identifying your ideal buyer, understanding buyer's journey, & evaluating buyer decision processes.

Buyer

Event Marketing

Event marketing is a strategy where brands engage directly with target audiences through live events like trade shows, conferences, or webinars.

Event Marketing

GPCTBA/C&I

GPCTBA/C&I is a sales qualification framework for understanding a prospect's goals, plans, challenges, timeline, budget, and authority.

GPCTBA/C&I

Website Visitor Tracking

Website visitor tracking collects and analyzes data on user behavior to understand their journey and improve the overall user experience.

Website Visitor Tracking

Account

An account is a company or organization that you're targeting for sales. It can be a prospective, current, or even a past customer.

Account

Demand

Demand is the economic principle describing a consumer's desire and willingness to purchase a specific good or service at a particular price.

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Technographics

Technographics is data that outlines a company’s technology stack, helping B2B teams identify prospects based on the software and hardware they use.

Technographics

Sales Territory

A sales territory is a specific group of customers or a geographic area that a salesperson or sales team is responsible for managing.

Sales Territory

End of Day

End of Day (EOD) refers to the close of business hours. It's a common deadline for tasks and reports to be completed before the workday ends.

End of Day

Buying Signal

A buying signal is any action from a prospect that indicates they are interested in making a purchase, helping sales teams prioritize leads.

Buying Signal

AI Data Enrichment

AI data enrichment uses artificial intelligence to automatically enhance and update raw data, making it more complete, accurate, and valuable.

AI Data Enrichment

Knowledge Base

A knowledge base is a self-serve online library of information about a product, service, department, or topic.

Knowledge Base

SFDC

SFDC stands for Salesforce Dot Com, a popular cloud-based CRM platform that helps companies manage their customer interactions and data.

SFDC

Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface

A Representational State Transfer (REST) API is a web service that uses a simple, stateless architecture for systems to communicate online.

Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface

Firmographics

Firmographics are descriptive attributes of organizations, used to segment companies by characteristics like industry, size, and location.

Firmographics

Shipping Solutions

Shipping solutions are services or software that streamline the logistics of getting products to customers, from label printing to final delivery.

Shipping Solutions

Buyer’s Remorse

Buyer’s remorse is the sense of regret or anxiety that can arise after making a purchase, often questioning if it was the right decision.

Buyer’s Remorse

Lead Scrape

Lead scraping is the process of automatically extracting contact information and other relevant data about potential customers from online sources.

Lead Scrape

Behavioral Analytics

Learn about behavioral analytics, including implementing behavioral analytics successfully, & key metrics in behavioral analytics.

Behavioral Analytics